Google has thrown down an Amazon Web Services challenge, but the service has a ways to go to match its rival on breadth and depth.

by Larry Dignan

Google launched Compute Engine Infrastructure as a Service in a bid to offer cloud infrastructure much like Amazon Web Services. However, the effort, which is in a “limited preview,” lacks the depth and options provided by Amazon.In a nutshell, Google is allowing users to spin up virtual machines. Coupled with Google’s App Engine, Google Apps, and Drive the company is building out its cloud stack.

Google’s promise is that it’ll provide all the access to its computing power to companies.

The idea of a cloud stack isn’t exactly original. Amazon has focused on infrastructure as a service, but others offer a cloud menu of items. Everyone from Microsoft to Oracle to HP to IBM to VMware has a cloud stack.

Though details were sparse, Google indicated that it will try to win versus other cloud players based on raw performance.

For Google, its cloud compute effort could meld well with Google Docs, which will work offline in Chrome, and ultimately its Chromebook laptops, which will now be sold at Best Buy. Compute Engine and App Engine are seen as a good tag team to Google.

Is Google’s offering an Amazon Web Services killer? That outcome remains to be seen. Google has touted its number of cores, value, and Linux virtual machines. There’s no doubt that Google’s cluster and high-performance networking will be worth checking out.

Tooling. Configure and control via a scriptable command line tool or Web UI.

Those tools are notable but not as mature as what Amazon is offering. Amazon offers storage, compute, databases, content delivery networks, and identity management, as well as templates to build cloud services. In addition, Amazon got an early lead and has worked to court the enterprise buyer as it evolves contracts and services and offers Windows instances as well as connections to Oracle and SAP applications.

Add it up and Google has thrown down an Amazon Web Services challenge, but the product has a ways to go to match its rival on breadth and depth.